Brake pad advice

[(in)Sanity]

Well my new commute is not doing so well with my pads and rotors. I've got solid rotors with metal master metallic pads and about 3/4 of the way home the rotors are hot and loud and shortly after I can feel them digging in when I brake.

So the question is what should I go with? I tend to love to brake hard, but I'm killing the rotors very quickly with all this stop and go driving.

Drilled rotors with soft pads or slotted...or what?

Thanks for any advice.

[stealthJamal]

I like Power Slot rotors with Hawk brake pads. They aren't the best, but they pretty good(way better than stock) and last a VERY LONG time. You get a lot of performance for the price.

http://www.powerslot.com/

http://www.hawkperformance.com/


Some sites sell them in a package which saves $$
Site for GM 3800 powered cars has this for example:

http://www.3800performance.com/Merch...oduct_Count=16

[edweird]

For street driving, especially stop and go, I don't see how brake parts designed for the track are going to help. *edit I see these folks see street application parts as well.

Rotors were slotted and drilled for racing applications to aid in brake pad de-gas. Not only have racing brake pads improved so that they don't release gas when they are hot, but you aren't going to get your pads that hot in normal street driving.

Some of the racing performance oriented brake pad compounds are made to work better when hot, and not fade at higher tempatures. Great for something like a roadcourse where you are scrubbing off speed on a regular basis and keeping heat in the brakes, but not for the street. They don't stop as well as OEM when they are cooler.

I belive metallic pads are going to be tougher on your rotors than the OEM organic pads. You might want to have your brakes checked to make sure there's not something else going on.

Ed

[(in)Sanity]

I drive on the street like it's the race track, I take off fast and stop quickly when forced to. Those high speed stops are heating the solid rotors really well. I have no drag or such when the brakes are released. I may go with slotted rotors and Axxis Deluxe pads. Right now the Axxis metal masters I'm using are far too aggressive for stop and go driving. I often worry about people rear ending me even while driving normal. They grab and bring the car to a quick halt. That is of course until they get really hot, then they just grind the rotors away and make nasty noise. Just too much heat.

StopTech (http://www.stoptech.com/) has some good parts by the looks of it also.

[amoney]

eck solid rotors, well anything will be an improvement over solid rotors, even the stock equipment on my cars that I have had, came with rotors which had what ever you called vents in the middle portion of the rotor for heat disapation, the pad side of the potor was completely smooth no holes or slots. one down side to qood quality rotors is the price, my stock rotors were easily over $100 each. I think anything will help, the slots and holes are also a "look" thing, if you want braking power the more surface area of rotors that you have, and likewise bigger callaper/pads are what you want, holes and slots are things you go after after you obtain the previous items for the edge of performance gain. any rotor that is vented will work great.

[nvr2fast]

I quite enjoy my Ferodo brake pads, like the DS2500. Not bad, not much dust, almost no squeal either. And under extended auto-X and stuff have not shown much fade.

[(in)Sanity]

eck solid rotors, well anything will be an improvement over solid rotors, even the stock equipment on my cars that I have had, came with rotors which had what ever you called vents in the middle portion of the rotor for heat disapation, the pad side of the potor was completely smooth no holes or slots. one down side to qood quality rotors is the price, my stock rotors were easily over $100 each. I think anything will help, the slots and holes are also a "look" thing, if you want braking power the more surface area of rotors that you have, and likewise bigger callaper/pads are what you want, holes and slots are things you go after after you obtain the previous items for the edge of performance gain. any rotor that is vented will work great.

Ya the fronts are center vented, the rears are solid. The fronts are what is overheating more then anything. I'll go with slotted center vented and also a less aggressive pad.

[EastGermanOlympicJudge]

(in)Sanity,

Have you seen this page? It has several comparison charts for brake pads that may help you decide. Interestingly, it indicates that the Metal Masters are relatively easy on the rotors, but also that they fade a little more than others.

Using those charts, I chose Metal Masters for myself last year (stock rotors) based primarily on their longevity and consistent feel. I haven't been disappointed at all, but then again I do very very little stop/go driving.

Also, check out the page on "bedding in" your new brakes. It can restore positive brake feel even for non-new pads/rotors.

Good luck.

[Veil Guy]

I have tried several high performance pads in my applications and have tended towards the following:

EBC Greenstuff - Kevlar/Synthetic Blend: For semi-track/road use - not hard on rotors.

Akebono (or similar) - Ceramic pads: good breaking, very low dust, and easy on rotors.

Brembo crossed drilled or slotted rotors.

Don't overlook good brake fluid. I am a big fan of Ate Super Blue.

Veil Guy 8)

[SmaartAasSaabr]

I quite enjoy my Ferodo brake pads, like the DS2500. Not bad, not much dust, almost no squeal either. And under extended auto-X and stuff have not shown much fade.

Ferodos are great. Whenever I hear Ferodo I think of all those old films from car races where there were all those Ferodo banners in the 1910's, 1920's, etc...